Can women have men hoors in Jannah?

Question:

I would like to know if in Jannah there house with families that we will be reunited with, and in Jannah men will marry the houris, then can women have men hoors in Jannah?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Allah Ta‘ālā alone has full knowledge of the unseen. However, from the limited knowledge we were given about Jannah and its delights by Allah Ta‘ālā and His Messenger (sallAllāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), there are a few points we would like to mention:

1) Indeed, Allah Ta‘ālā has prepared every pleasure in Jannah for the believers. They will enjoy in Jannah whatever they wish and like. They are showered with Allah Ta‘ālā’s blessings and favours. All their wishes are fulfilled and all their requests are granted. Allah Ta‘ālā says:

Translation: “There you shall have whatever your heart desires, and you shall have whatever you ask for.” [i]

To perfect the joy and delight of believers in Jannah, Allah Ta‘ālā brings together the family members of a person, elevating the ranks of the members of a lower grade to the higher grades of their relatives.

Translation: “Those (Mu’mineen) who do good deeds and whose progeny follow them in Imaan, We shall join their progeny with them (in Jannah) without reducing anything from (the rewards of) their (good) deeds.” [ii]

In this verse, Allah Ta‘ālā says that He will bless the believing family members by bringing them together in Jannah. This will be done by elevating the rank of the children who fell short of their parents’ status. This is by Allah’s immense generosity and favour. [iii]

Translation: “Eternal gardens in which they will enter together with all those of their forefathers, spouses, and progeny who are worthy (of entering Jannah because they have Imaan). And the angels shall come to them from every door.” [iv]

Allah Ta‘ālā also says:

ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ أَنْتُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ تُحْبَرُونَ

“Enter the Garden, you and your wives. You will be made glad.” (43: 70-73)

2) A person’s wife in this world will remain his wife in the hereafter. In Jannah, a wife will forever enjoy the company of her husband. She will only have desire for her husband. She will not have any ill-feelings for her husband. Allah Ta‘ālā says:

وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ

Translation: “We shall remove any ill-feelings (hatred and animosity towards other Muslims) that may be in their chests.” [v]

Although the men in Jannah will have hoors, they will have their wives from this world too. The wives of this world will be far superior to the hoors in Jannah. Consider the following Hadith.

Umm Salamah (radiyAllāhu ‘anhā) narrates that she said to Rasūlullāh (sallAllāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), “O Rasūlallāh! Are the women of this world superior or the hoors?”

He replied, “The women of this world will have superiority over the hoors just as the outer lining of a garment has superiority over the inner lining.”

Umm Salamah (radiyAllāhu ‘anhā) then asked, “O Rasūlallāh! What is the reason for this?”

He answered, “Because they performed Salāh, fasted, and worshipped [Allah]. Allah will put light on their faces and silk on their bodies. They will be fair in complexion and will wear green clothing and yellow jewelry. Their incense-burners will be made of pearls and their combs will be of gold. They will say, ‘We are the women who will stay forever and we will never die. We are the women who will always remain in comfort and we will never undergo difficulty. We are the women who will stay and we will never leave. Listen, we are happy women and we will never become sad. Glad tidings to those men for whom we are and who are for us’” [vi]

To compare and compete are also among the feminine qualities. A female feels superior when she outmatches her counterpart. This internal instinct of women will be brought out through the beautiful hoors of Jannah. With all the description of the beauties of hoors and their admiration, when a woman from this world will compare and compete with the hoors, the women of this world will outmatch the hoors of Jannah.

The description of hoors serves to bring out a sense of superiority in the women of this world. How then will a man prefer a hoor of Jannah over his wife of this world when she will be more beautiful than the hoors. Hence, the subsequent negative feelings in a women of this world does not arise. In fact, she will appreciate the hoors for giving her the opportunity to supersede in competitive beauty and feeling superior.

Although only Allah Ta‘ālā knows the full realities, it is our understanding that if a woman did not get married during her worldly life, or if her husband was not from the people of Jannah, and she got admittance into Jannah, then Allah will wed her to one of the believing men in Jannah, as this would also be one of the desires of a woman of Jannah; and all desires of the inhabitants of Jannah will be fulfilled. These women will live with their husbands and they will be just as happy and content as the rest.

In conclusion, the desires of each and every inhabitant of Jannah will be fulfilled. The reality is that whatever we imagine in this world as Jannah is not Jannah. Our imaginations cannot perceive what Allah Ta’ala has saved for His believing servants.

May Allah Ta‘ālā bless us to be amongst the dwellers of Jannah. Aameen.

Hadeeth of the Day

Narrated Abud-Darda' (Radhi Allahu anhu) , I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) saying, "Whenever a Muslim supplicates for his (Muslim) brother in his absence, the angels say: `May the same be for you too'. {Muslim}

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